1889

Alexander P. Nelson, familiarly known as "Alec," died in his home city Santa Ana, Calif., January 28, at the age of 87. An InMemoriam notice appears in this issue. Information regarding him since he left college at end of sophomore year is meager. He attended no reunions - rarely answered letters. Scarcely a member of our Class met him after he left college.

Following the death of his wife in 1952, however, information regarding Alec and his wife before not generally known came to your secretary from the wife of a family whose home many years was next door to the home of the Nelsons in Santa Ana. She described Mrs. Nelson as a remarkable woman. "In those days the Nelsons were in good health and full of fascinating stories out of their past," she wrote. "Our friendship deepened and it lasted. They were really like our own family. When Alec's wife died a little more than a year ago he was pretty well shaken up, but he gradually recovered - his health was good, his mind was clear, he was keenly interested in everything going on locally and nationally."

She often called to see him, had him visit at her home, attended to his correspondence, and kept a general supervision over him to the end. In recognition of her kindness he gave her his Phi Delta Theta fraternity badge, which she highly prizes. This friendly neighbor of the Nelsons at the close of her last letter to your secretary wrote, "Two wonderful friends are gone, but they still are very close in memories that are deep and precious."

An article on Alec's death in Santa Ana's daily newspaper, The Register, printed on the day he died, reviewed his qualifications and work as district attorney and stated that he was "an exceptionally competent trial lawyer."

The annual dinner of the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Boston held at Hotel Statler on February 17 was attended by about 800 members. A program to improve athletics at Dartmouth was outlined by Robert A. "Red" Rolfe '31, who will become Director of Athletics, July 1. President John Sloan Dickey, whose speech received close attention, said the two most important events in Dartmouth's recent history were President Eisenhower's visit to Hanover at Commencement last June, when he delivered his historic speech in support of man's right to free speech and knowledge, and the enrollment last fall of the strongest freshman class in years. Special guests, each of whom spoke, were undergraduates Louis C. Turner '55, captain-elect of the football team; Milton S. Kramer '54, editor of The Dartmouth; and David T. McLaughlin '54, president of the Undergraduate Council. Alex J. McFarland '30, president of the Association, was toastmaster. Your secretary was the only member of the oldest class represented at the dinner. No member was present from any other class in college during '89's undergraduate days.

The College Archives Department of Baker Library presented to the New England Historic Genealogical Society of Boston last November a valuable collection of Dartmouth class reports for which no use was being made. They were duplicate copies of reports in the Archives on file for ready reference, and had been put away in a storeroom. The work of indexing this collection has recently been completed and the reports have been placed in the Society's library. The collection consists of 386 class reports (no duplicates), ranging from the Class of 1811 to the Class of 1930. Sixty-five different classes issued these reports.

Prior to the presentation of this collection, the New England Historic Genealogical Society had in its library 75 Dartmouth class reports (no duplicate copies of which were in the recent presentation), ranging from the Class of 1811 (a different date issue of a report of that class contained in the recent presentation) to the Class of 1928. Thirty-seven different classes issued these reports. The 461 class reports (386 plus 75) now on the shelves of the Society's library make it the largest collection of Dartmouth class reports anywhere, except in the Archives of Baker Library. Further-more, the collection does not include any reports received by the Society in Boston since the first of the year, when your secretary mailed to the secretaries of Dartmouth classes, a communication urging that all available class reports be sent to the New England Historic Genealogical Society of Boston.

Secretary and Treasurer 108 Mt. Vernon St., Boston 8, Mass.

Class Agent 29 Ocean View Rd., Cape Elizabeth, Me.